Diesel Motor Home

BUYING A NEW DIESEL COACH IF I WERE BUYING A NEW DIESEL COACH By: Frank R. Gummersall My dear bride Sylvia and I have just purchased our second diesel coach and fourth motor home and went through a lot of sole searching making all the choices involved. How much should we spend? How big should it be? How long are we going to live this lifestyle? Where will we keep it? How many days are we going to spend in the coach per year? Where will we camp most of the time? How much should it weigh? How much are we going to tow? What should the floor plan be? Do we want two couches? Do we want a dinette? Do we want a slide out or two? How are we going to entertain? These are just a few of the questions that we answered to decide to buy our new coach. The "Life Style" that we have grown to enjoy very much is the reason that we motor home. "What" motor home does not really change the opportunity to enjoy the freedom, friendship, challenge, enjoyment, scenery, people, food, and all the other things that are part of the life. When we think of our first motor home which was a 19' Cortez, or the 25' Winnebago, or the 34' Georgie Boy, or our current 36' Monaco we come to the same conclusion: We love the "Life Style". We want to continue to enjoy it until we are not able to do it safely. The safety of motor homing is a subject that has many facets. Driveability is important and in general the more expensive the unit is, the better it drives. Gas motor homes tend to be overloaded and under braked. They also tend to be more effected by winds, passing trucks, ruts in the roads, and other conditions that we all experience. The more miles you drive, the more important driveability becomes. We took delivery of our new coach in September 1998 and have enjoyed over 16,000 miles of safe travel in just these first four months. We are planning a trip to Georgia in March; Montana, British Columbia, and Oregon in June; Iowa in July and a few side trips in between. It would be hard to think about all these miles in anything but a long wheelbase, stable, heavy motor home. For me, Safety is the paramount issue in the purchase of a new motor home of any class. There are some motor homes in any class that I would not drive under any circumstances because they are not stable at highway speeds and cannot stop safely. This group of motor homes is characterized by overloading, bad balance of weight, short wheelbase, and inadequate brakes. An underpowered rig is not unsafe except in two conditions. (1) Getting on a busy Interstate and (2) staying away from slow 18 wheelers on long mountain passes. Thousands of underpowered 18 wheelers drive safely millions of miles, but one thing they have to do is stop well under emergency conditions. So hundreds of underpowered motor homes can drive thousands of miles safely, but it isn't much fun. I like at least 1.1 horse powere per 100 lbs. of GCW. It is also difficult to resell and underpowered coach. Tom asked me to think about writing an article that takes the reader through all the choices necessary to make an informed purchase of a diesel pusher and I thought "No Way". How could I write a non-biased article not mentioning brand names and being totally objective? Well I decided that I could not do that, but I could take each major part of a motor home and describe the considerations that should be made in deciding which coach to buy. This article will concentrate only on new Class A coaches and contains my opinions and feelings on this subject. You need to remember that previously owned and loved coaches offer a significant value but purchasing one can be very scary. I will leave that to another article. This article will touch on some living and traveling considerations but will not represent any comprehensive discussion on the exact requirements that will be true for each and every purchaser. How much to spend? There are generally four or five price levels for Class A motor homes including Gas Coaches. Many of us have a budget that will stand no more than $100, 000 and that means a Gas Coach. The new Ford Chassis makes this choice a very viable option that offers living space and carrying capacity that is enough to support most of us, even full timing. So why spend more? That is a question that can only be answered by understanding why at least 10,000 of us guys talk our spouses into spending extra for a diesel coach every year. Why is that? A lot has to do with the purchasing power of us retired people. We have been lucking enough to save a little and make a little in real estate or invest in a Microsoft at $17 in 1980. Us guys like all the engines, transmissions, suspensions, brakes, and stuff that has grease on it. Our spouses like the floor plans, wall paper design, fabrics on the furniture, bathroom design, window dressings and all other factors concerning the living space Many of these camping places limit RV sizes so that is one specification that you must place on your list of requirements. How long should it be? Many campgrounds limit lengths, especially National, State, and County Parks. Many driveways of friends and relatives can not accommodate a 42' coach, so how long should the coach be? Where are you going to store the motor home when not in use? What about the floor plan? Since most of us travel as a couple, dinettes are as popular as a dining table and two chairs with a leaf to expand and accommodate two people on folding chairs. A potty that has a door, seems to be very popular choice. A shower that can handle a man of a mature size is also important. Two facing couches seem important to some people. A Queen walk around bed seems to be a very minimum requirement. Slide outs are currently delivered in over 90% of the coaches manufactured, but should you get one? I have written a subsequent article on this subject. I have decided as I write this article that I should concentrate on two classes of diesel pushers or this article will never end. The two classes are under $150,000 and over $150,000. I will not spend time on coaches that cost more than $250,000. There are many choices from almost all manufacturers in the under $150,000 class. This class can be generalized by the 32-38', 275hp engine, Freightliner or Spartan Chassis, Air Brakes, propane generator, manufactured wood cabinets with print grain, 1000 watt inverter/charger, two group 57 coach batteries and 5,000 lb. tow capacity. Typical examples of this class are Fleetwood Destiny, Winnebago Chieftan, National Tradewind, Holiday Rambler Endeavor, Allegro Bay, Rexhall Rose, Monaco Diplomat, Coachmen Sportscoach and others. We put 80,000 miles on a 1993 model example of this kind of coach and had a great time. We experienced the average amount of maintenance and repair costs, but we starting to have failures in the components like the steering box, which were starting to wear out. My conclusion is that some components used in this class coach are not true heavy-duty truck parts. In my experience, this class of coach is great for many people, because they will never put that many miles on the coach and they will spend most nights in Campgrounds hooked up to shore power. The generator will have less than 300 hours on it and the tires will weather check before they wear out. There will be many happy campers in this class of coach who will experience all the "Life Style" benefits of motor homing. However there are some coaches in this class that are only marginally safe when it comes to highway stability, balance, power, and braking. They are the ones that overload the chassis, leave little net payload capacity, have too small of brake size for safe stopping, and are not stable in high winds. The $150,000-$225,000 category is characterized by 36'-40', 330+hp, Custom Chassis, Air Suspension, Air Brakes, Diesel Generator, real wood cabinets, 2000 watt inverter charger, four golf cart batteries, 10,000 lb. towing capacity, and higher quality finish. Examples of this class are Monaco Windsor, Fleetwood American, Winnebago Ultimate, Holiday Rambler Imperial, Coachman SportsCoach, Allegro Bus, Country Coach Allure, Western RV Apline Coach and others. These coaches are serious rving machines. Large holding tanks, large fuel tanks, 500 amp hour capacity battery bank, large tires, weight ratings that allow huge carrying and towing capacity, high quality audio and video equipment, and other luxury features makes this class of motor home a true "High Line". Custom paint jobs including matched paint jobs on the towed cars. Is this price justified? The buyers can only answer that question. This class of coach is typically used by full timers or near full timers and usually covers 15,000 to 20,000 miles per year. That means usage patterns that require heavy duty truck parts used in the chassis. Customers demand whisper quiet road noise level, over the road video capability, luxury materials and finish used inside, and many other options. These coaches are typically built on custom chassis that are build for the exact length and floor plan of the coach. This integrated design of house and vehicle facilitates proper weight distribution, optimum placement of components like the generator. Several attempts have been made to use diesel engines in less expensive coaches but all have failed to garner any market share. An Isuzu Chassis was used but found to have too few horses. Chevrolet tried collaboration with Spartan to produce a very low-end diesel pusher using their pickup sized diesel engine in a frame rail chassis. It did not work. The demands we make on manufacturers for more and more features, functions, and conveniences will no doubt cause and always bigger is better mentality. We will continue to push design limits of components that are economically available for use in motor homes. Currently Spartan offers a chassis with a Cummins 210 hp/ Allison 542 that is in my opinion going to wind up failing to gain market share because it has too little ump and too little braking. Diesel pushers are here to stay in a big way with over 10,000 being built every year. I doubt that costs will come down. So why should you spend the additional $40,000 to get a diesel? Or why should you spend an additional $100,000 or more to buy a luxury diesel? Each individual purchaser can only state the parameters of this decision making. The "Life Style" we share does not demand it, because you can experience the great scenery, friendships, and freedom in a used motor home costing less than $10,000. © 1999, RVers Online BACK MAIN MENU

Recreation Vehicle Insurance

RV.Net : Welcome to the ultimate network of RV sites! RV.Net Family of Sites Affiliate Programs Affinity Group Affinity Road and Travel American Recreation Consumer Shows ATV Gear Zone ATV Magazine ATV Magazine TV ATV Sport ATV Sport TV Bass and Walleye Boats Boating Industry Camping Life Camping World Coast to Coast Coast Affiliates Cars, Vans and Pickups Camping World RV Institute Ehlert Online Media Golf Card Good Sam Club MotorHome Magazine Powersports Business Rider Magazine RV Buyers Guide RV Business RV Doctor RV Road Service RV Search RV Today Snowmobile News Thunder Press Trailer Life Directory Trailer Boats Trailer Life Magazine Watercraft News Woodall's All of RV.Net Forums Articles Products Events RV Community RV News & Reviews RV Sales Plan a Trip RV Clubs & Services RV Camping Deals What is Affiliate Marketing? Affiliate Marketing is a quick and easy way to increase revenue from your Website visitors. If your visitors are interested in outdoor activities such as camping, RVing and golfing, you should take advantage of our affiliate programs. It's a great way to add lifestyle content to your site in addition to increasing online revenue, and signup is FREE! We currently offer the following affiliate programs, apply for one, some or all. Good Sam Club The RVing club founded 36 years ago - Now with over 1 million members and still growing. Offering Members: • 10% discount at over 1,600 RV Parks & Campgrounds in the U.S. and Canada • Members only Website - And much more We'll pay $5 for every signup referred to Good Sam from your site - That's a 26% commission rate! Join the Good Sam Club Affiliate Program Trailer Life Directory & Books The Trailer Life Directory is part of a family of publications and services devoted to enhancing the lifestyle of recreational-vehicle enthusiasts. TL Enterprises, Inc., offers a wide variety of products and services, including directories, magazines, books and atlases for thousands of locations across the US and Canada. We'll pay you 15% of every transaction referred to us by your site. Join the TL Books Affiliate Program Golf Card "Play more golf for less" Golf Card is a club of avid golfers who use the combined strength of our 100,000+ members to play more golf for less money. Offering Members: • Free green fees, or up to 50% discounts on golf at over 3,500 golf courses in the US and abroad • Up to 50% savings at more than 4,000 hotels worldwide • Rental car discounts with National Car Rental and Alamo • Savings on long distance service, auto insurance, VISA® credit card and more! We'll pay $25 for every signup referred to Golf Card from your site - That's a 42% commission rate! Join the Golf Card Affiliate Program Good Sam VIP Insurance Good Sam VIP is a full-coverage vehicle insurance plan offered to Good Sam members by GMAC Insurance. About VIP: For over twenty years, VIP has served the RV and auto insurance needs of more than 150,000 Good Samers nationwide. VIP's commitment to supporting the Good Sam lifestyle has helped us become America's RV Experts, with more RV-friendly benefits than any other vehicle insurer. We handle all special coverage needs including awnings, cabanas, satellite dishes, and other attached accessories… They're all safe with VIP. We'll pay you $8 for every quote referred to us from your site. Join the Good Sam VIP Insurance Affiliate Program Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service (ERS) Towing and Road Service for your RV and all household Cars, minivans, SUVs, pickups and boat trailers. Members Receive: • Family Coverage • 24-Hour Toll-Free Emergency Dispatch Service • Jump Starts • Lock Out Benefit • Tire Service • Fuel Delivery • Towing coverage • Travel delay assistance • Emergency medical referral service We'll pay you 15% for every new member referred to us from your site. Join the Good Sam RV ERS Affiliate Program Advertisement - • About Us • Advertise With Us • Affiliate Programs • Contact Us • Press Releases • Privacy Policy • Site Map • Terms Advertisement Advertisement Home | About RV.net | Advertise With Us | Terms | Site Map | Contact Us | PRIVACY POLICY | YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS | ©2006 RV.net

diesel motor home will

Welcome to Adobe GoLive 5 Cross Country in a Country Coach By Len Souza Last week I had an opportunity to drive a new Country Coach Intrigue motor home across the country for six days over a distance of 3,200 miles. The trip originated at the Country Coach factory in Junction City, Oregon and it ended in Perry, Georgia at the site of the FMCA National Winter Rally. Prior to this I had never driven a High Line diesel pusher more than 10 or 20 miles during various test drives. This trip would be a new experience for me and it would test of my fortitude, as the schedule required that I drive 500 miles each day and deliver the coach in 6 days. This would require me to drive 9 to 10 hours each day. I normally drive no more than 5 or 6 hours each day when I travel in my own gas powered motor home. This driving experience was a real eye opener for me; it taught me some valuable lessons. The people who have experienced a High Line diesel motor home will tell you that you are much more rested at the end of the day and they state that “getting there” is over half of the enjoyment of traveling by motor home. After this trip, I am a believer! My overall impression can be summarized with two (2) words, Confidence and Comfort. The Confidence came about because of the superb road manners that this coach exhibited; it tracked between the lines exactly where I pointed it and with no effort on my part. The road conditions didn’t seem to deter or challenge this coach; I encountered crosswinds of over 30 MPH at one point and very rough roadbeds at several points along the 3,200 miles. None of these conditions affected this motor home, it just kept moving along in the exact direction that I pointed it in. The powerful ISL 400 Cummins propelled the coach along effortlessly, even up steep grades. The Comfort associated with driving this motor home was not only enjoyable but it afforded me one very important benefit, it did not fatigue me. At the end of each day I felt great after having driven for 9 or 10 hours; I was a bit astonished, as I hadn’t expected this outcome. The chassis, with its air suspension ride and precise power steering with the great tactile feel--help this Country Coach earn the title of “High Line” motor coach. I also had the opportunity to get intimately familiar with the coach as I inspected it very closely twice each day out on the road. The quality that I saw in the chassis-joint welds, the cabling and the inside and outside hull construction was very impressive. The coach displayed a very high degree of “Fit and Finish” excellence. After this driving experience I have a much better realization and appreciation for the value that a High Line diesel motor home affords its owners. Ed Note: Len Souza is a regular contributor to our "Guest Editorial" Section. BACK MAIN MENU

Fleetwood RV is looking

Fleetwood Owners Clubs: Ambassadors Welcome! [sign in to access My Fleetwood] My Fleetwood Luxury Coaches American Heritage American Eagle American Tradition Diesel Coaches Revolution Revolution LE Excursion Providence Discovery Bounder Diesel Expedition Gas Motor Homes Pace Arrow Southwind Bounder Flair Storm Terra Fiesta Mini Motor Homes Tioga Tioga SL Tioga SLX Jamboree Jamboree GT Jamboree GTX Travel Trailers Triumph Pride Terry Prowler Wilderness Mallard Pioneer Pegasus Orbit Toy Haulers GearBox Nitrous Hyperlite RedLine Folding Camping Trailers Destiny Americana Highlander Scorpion Evolution Element Fleetwood Ambassador Program Ambassadors Needed Fleetwood RV is looking for a few great owners... and we want you! We have openings for ambassadors at the following national RV shows: FMCA Winter Rally - March 20-23, Pomona, CA Great North American RV Rally – April 7-10, Daytona, FL FMCA Summer Rally - August 14-17, Concord, NC Pennsylvania RV Show – September, Hershey PA Fleetwood RV will have exhibits displaying the new 2006 lineup. Many exciting activities will also draw RV'ers in to see what we're up to. Product test drives will be our primary focus along with many drawings for lots of fun prizes. Ambassadors are requested to work at least one 5-hour shift and couples will be working together. Responsibilities will vary from greeters to golf cart shuttle drivers to lead generation activities. Fleetwood RV will provide each volunteer a special Fleetwood Ambassador shirt and hat along with the opportunity to participate in any booth activities. Easy requirements: Be registered to attend either event or live in the local area, be willing to work at least one 5 hour shift and attend a training session prior to the beginning of the show. If you're interested in working with the best RV manufacturer, Fleetwood, please e-mail your name (spouse too), address, phone #, e-mail address, shirt sizes, RV model and which show you are interested in participating in to dawn.fann@fleetwood.com . Be sure to put in the subject line: Future Fleetwood Ambassador. Pass this along to your friends and other Fleetwood RV owners so they too can become a Fleetwood Ambassador. Thank you for your consideration and for supporting Fleetwood Recreational Vehicles. Home | Contact Us | Owners Clubs | Plant Tours | Your Privacy | About this Site Fleetwood RV Store | Fleetwood.com | Employment | Website Feedback

RV Trader RV Insider

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Dealer listings stand out among the results with a thumbnail photograph or logo appearing next to the text description of your recreational vehicle. Interested buyers then click on your listing and proceed to review the detailed information you provide. Automated forms allow buyers to contact you for more information or they can opt to contact you via phone, fax, e-mail or even link to your website . Visitors also have the option to search through your entire inventory to see all of the recreational vehicles you have for sale. All sales leads are sent directly to you to handle as you deem appropriate. What does a RVTraderOnline.com Dealer Website do for you? Establish, maintain or develop your online presence. Fully integrate and share inventory with other aspects of the RV Trader Web Services package. The new easy-to-use SiteConstruct website software allows for powerful, yet simple, site editing and updating -- be creative without having to work for it! Track and monitor traffic to your site. Collate all your sales leads in one central location with the new LeadSMART utility. Feature your site on the number one classified-driven site on the web for maximum exposure. RVTraderOnline.com is now just one aspect of what TraderOnline can offer your business. RV Trader Web Services represents a totally new and easy way to manage all aspects of your online dealership. Learn more about our RV Trader Web Services! What Do I Get? After signing up, you'll receive your own unique login and password that allows you to create and manage your inventory listings. You'll have 24-hour access and can make add, delete or modify your information at any time with those changes appearing instantly in the RVTraderOnline.com database. The Inventory Management Tool offers several features that provide fast and accurate control of your listings. Those features are: Inventory Management Photo Upload Dealer Features Traffic and Email Reporting What If I Need To Talk To A Live Person For Help? You will be assigned a Customer Service Representative that will become familiar with your account and can assist with whatever questions you may have. Our courteous and knowledgeable Customer Service Representatives are always just a toll-free phone call away. How Can I Track My Success? Being the Internet, detailed reporting is made easy. RVTraderOnline.com offers you itemized reports outlining how many times potential buyers have viewed your inventory, and the number of e-mail leads sent. Why Should I Join? RVTraderOnline.com is the Internet source for the buying and selling of recreational vehicles, and contains the largest database of recreational vehicles on the web. More than 433,000 visitors frequent RVTraderOnline.com every month and conduct over 1,788,000 recreational vehicle searches. RVTraderOnline.com has a long history in the recreational vehicle industry and is committed to continually promoting the website (and subsequently driving more traffic to your recreational vehicle listings) via an extensive online marketing effort. RVTraderOnline.com is built upon a state-of-the-art Oracle database and supported by sophisticated software and an extensive computer network. This ensures your inventory is readily accessible to eager recreational vehicle buyers and can be downloaded quickly for immediate viewing. But most importantly, RVTraderOnline.com can help you sell more recreational vehicles! RVTraderOnline.com's Inventory Management Tool is a cost-effective and efficient way to expand your marketplace and increase sales. RVTraderOnline.com's Inventory Management Tool really works! Read what other brokers and dealers have had to say by clicking here . How To Sell More RVs Get started today by signing up below. 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